Patriots on verge of lots of records

Records aren't important to the New England Patriots - not yet anyway.

Not finishing the season at 16-0. Not becoming the highest-scoring team in NFL history. And not Tom Brady and Randy Moss setting individual marks.

All those are still within reach, but after becoming the first team to go 15-0 in the regular season with a 28-7 win over visiting Miami yesterday, it will mean more if the Patriots score more points than the New York Giants next Saturday night.

"When you look back at the end of your career, you'll be excited about individual records," Brady said. "But winning's more important and I think that's really what everyone's concerned about."

Brady threw three touchdown passes, two to Moss, and the Patriots moved to the best start in league history. The old mark: Miami's 14-0 in 1972 when the season lasted just 14 games.

Today's disjointed Dolphins (1-14) couldn't protect the record of their dominant predecessors.

"We wanted to win for them," defensive end Jason Taylor said. "But I wanted to win today, for the guys in this room."

If the Patriots beat the Giants, then go unbeaten in the postseason to finish 19-0, they'll join the Dolphins as the only teams to post a perfect record from opening day until the clock in the championship game runs out.

The Patriots need just six points to break Minnesota's single-season record of 556 set in 1998.

Brady (18-for-33, 215 yards) is one shy of Peyton Manning's NFL record of 49 touchdown passes set in 2004 and tied with Dan Marino's production in 1984. Moss needs one touchdown reception to tie Jerry Rice's mark of 22 set in 12 games in 1987, a strike year.

"Randy, everyone knows he's a great player whether he gets the record or not," Brady said.

The Patriots tied their NFL record of 18 consecutive regular-season wins set in 2003-04. They also broke the league mark of 70 touchdowns in one season by the 1984 Dolphins, reaching 71 to go up 28-0.

"I never felt they were playing for the records," Miami coach Cam Cameron said. "They understand what's important."

In other games:

* JAGUARS 49, RAIDERS 11: At Jacksonville, Fred Taylor's 62-yard touchdown run on his team's opening play set the tone for a rout that propelled the Jaguars (11-4) into the playoffs. Taylor finished with 111 yards as the Jaguars won for the sixth time in seven games and clinched the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell (7-for-23, 83 yards) threw a touchdown pass, but was intercepted three times and fumbled once for Oakland (4-11).

* REDSKINS 32, VIKINGS 21.: At Minneapolis, Washington shut down Adrian Peterson and set up two early touchdowns with interceptions to take control of their playoff fate with a victory over Minnesota (8-7). The Redskins (8-7) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Dallas next week.

* TITANS 10, JETS 6: At Nashville, Kyle Vanden Bosch had three of Tennessee's six sacks and Chris Brown ran for a touchdown and the Titans (9-6) have the edge over Cleveland in tiebreakers if tied for the AFC's final wild-card berth. New York (3-12) started Chad Pennington (26-for-32, 264 yards) for the first time since Oct. 28. He was picked off twice, including once in the end zone.

* BENGALS 19, BROWNS 14: At Cincinnati, Derek Anderson threw consecutive interceptions that set up a pair of rapid-fire touchdowns late in the first half, and he threw four in all in a loss that left the Cleveland (9-6) scrambling for a playoff spot. Kenny Watson (130 yards, 30 carries) ran for a touchdown for Cincinnati (6-9)

* SEAHAWKS 27, RAVENS 6: At Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck (18-for-27, 199 yards) shook off two interceptions to throw two touchdown passes and Shaun Alexander (73 yards, 13 carries) had his biggest rushing day since Week 4 as the Seahawks (10-5) clinched the No. 3 seed in the NFC with the win over Baltimore (4-11).

* 49ERS 21, BUCCANEERS 19: At San Francisco, Shaun Hill (11-for-24, 123 yards) passed for three touchdowns to remain unbeaten as an NFL starter as the 49ers (5-10) held on to win. Michael Clayton landed out of bounds with his catch on a two-point conversion attempt with 1:20 left for Tampa Bay (9-6).

* BEARS 35, PACKERS 7: At Chicago, Brian Urlacher returned an interception for a touchdown for the first time in his career, going 85 yards, and Adrian Peterson ran for 102 yards on a frigid afternoon as the Bears (6-9) surprised Green Bay, which lost the top seed on the NFC to Dallas with the loss.

* COLTS 38, TEXANS 15: At Indianapolis, Peyton Manning (28-for-35, 311 yards) threw three touchdown passes, Joseph Addai and Clifton Dawson ran for TDs, and the Colts (13-2) scored on six of their first eight possessions to beat Houston (7-8).

* CARDINALS 30, FALCONS 27 (OT): At Glendale, Ariz., Neil Rackers kicked a 29-yard field goal to force overtime, then booted one from 31 yards on the first possession of the extra session as the Cardinals (7-8) beat Atlanta (3-12), which rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to take the lead but lost its sixth in a row.

* LIONS 25, CHIEFS 20: At Detroit, T.J. Duckett ran for a season-high 102 yards and a touchdown as the Lions (7-8) snapped a six-game losing streak. Kansas City (4-11) has dropped eight straight, the franchise's worst skid since losing nine in a row in 1987. *